The Sound of Nothing
by Ahmiri
Summary: Ayame had seen. He'd seen Akito leading Yuki outside to his fate and yet... he did nothing. Yuki's cries were the sound of nothing. Another angst-filled one-shot.


**Okay, another post the day after my previous one. This story has been on my mind for a while though, and I started working on it during the Thanksgiving party on my mom's side. Such an anti-social person… Not really. I like my family too; I just end up writing while I'm there. (My grandma on that side helped me make my Yuki cosplay, actually. Towards the end of making the top something funny happened. I said, "Grandma, can we maybe make it so there isn't any boob space?" She looks at me and says, "Why?" "Because, this is a male character and he doesn't have any breasts." Her face was hysterical. "This is a boy?" She looks at the manga scans I brought for reference and points to Yuki, "That is _not _a boy." =_=) **

**Sorry, Yuki-kun. Once again, I don't own Fruits Basket or its characters therein. All rights go to Natsuki Takaya.**

**Ages: Ayame is seventeen and Yuki is seven.**

Akito was in a foul mood. He usually was, but today he was sick of everything. Sick of people not giving him the respect he deserved, sick of falling ill when he didn't want to, sick of his mother always being so hateful and annoying. And he wanted to take his anger out on something. Or some_one._

He smiled an unpleasant smile before heading for Yuki's bedroom. He was probably in there staring at his schoolbooks as if he was actually interested in them. Akito only had to go and fetch him.

OoOoO

"Tori-san! Look how splendid these blooms are! This time of year is so wonderful isn't it?" Ayame picked a blue flower and presented it to Hatori with a flourish. "To match your eyes."

"You aren't supposed to be picking the flowers in the Sohma gardens without permission, Ayame," Hatori said, looking at the flower.

"Gure-san, I think gold would fit you best!" Ayame ignored Hatori, determined to find a flower for both of his friends. Looking around he noticed two people exiting the main house, one smaller with silver hair glinting in the sunlight. He'd left Hatori and Shigure behind in his search for the perfect shade of gold, but now it was forgotten since he was distracted by the sight of the Zodiac god leading his brother to a bench by a ginko tree. Ayame was still hidden, but he watched them for a few minutes seeing the fear in Yuki's posture and face.

No. He didn't want to think about his brother. He was fine, right? He'd held his own for this long, hadn't he? Just then, fear-filled violet eyes met his and held his gaze in an unmistakable silent plea for help. Yuki was ten years younger but the terror in his eyes made Ayame feel cornered and trapped. A feeling he didn't like.

Turning away, Ayame headed back to Hatori and Shigure, not wanting to deal with thoughts of his brother. There wasn't anything he could do anyway.

"What?" Shigure pouted. "No flower for me?"

Ayame laughed. "Aren't I enough, Gure-san? Magnificent me is surely enough to satisfy the desires of your heart!" Then, with a shooing motion, he directed them farther away from where he knew Akito and his brother were. In fact, maybe inside would be better. "We should go inside; I think it's getting a bit too cold. Come, come!"

OoOoO

Yuki sat next to Akito on the bench, terrified. Something was about to happen and he wanted to run to anywhere but where he was now. He's seen Ayame and he'd thought for a brief moment that he might help, but his brother had only turned and run.

"Yuki, do you see that stick?" Akito pointed to a long thin switch lying under the ginko tree. "Bring it here."

Yuki looked at it, slowly standing to retrieve it. What was he going to do? He had a sick feeling in his stomach that he was about to receive another one of those beatings Akito had grown so fond of. Picking up it up from the stones, he could see it was about the same width as his little finger, maybe a little bigger. With trembling hands, he gave it to Akito, hoping and praying that he didn't want to use it on him.

Akito stood up, gesturing to the ground. "Kneel."

"Akito… please don't." Yuki's voice was shaking and almost inaudible.

"Kneel," Akito repeated with a cold voice.

Yuki got to his knees, the gravel digging into his skin even through the yukata he was wearing. He waited, his eyes squeezed shut. What was Akito waiting for? The gravel bit into his knees, and he could only hear the sound of the breeze passing through the trees as he waited for the pain.

Nothing.

Hesitantly, he peeked over his shoulder. At that moment, Akito's switch hissed through the air and struck the side of his face, leaving a streak of burning pain and forcing Yuki to make an involuntary cry of pain. Quickly, he huddled down to undergo the rest Akito's rage, grasping his hurt face and crying.

OoOoO

Ayame heard a crack and then a cry of pain. He cringed, knowing what was happening and trying not to think about it.

Hatori looked up from his medical textbook and at Ayame and Shigure who were busying themselves with a card game. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what, Tori-san?" Ayame looked back down at his cards. "I didn't hear anything."

Shigure shook his head. "I didn't—"

The sound came again and Hatori sat up. "There it is again. You heard it that time, right?"

Shigure looked back towards the gardens where it had come from. "I heard it too, Haa-san. I wonder what it was."

"Nothing." Ayame's voice was firm, lacking its usual boisterous tones. "It's the sound of nothing."

"Aya, I think—"

"No," Ayame said, cutting Shigure off. "It's nothing." He got up and shut an open window cutting off his brother's sobs entirely.

Fifteen minutes later a door opened and closed, and the sound of a child crying reached their ears. Slowly Hatori closed his book, sitting up a little straighter.

Ayame stared at his cards, Yuki's pleading gaze suddenly haunting him. He'd been so scared. He'd been praying for a rescue and received none. Now, Ayame listened helplessly as the sound grew nearer.

Hatori looked at him, seeing his guilty expression. "You knew, didn't you?"

Yuki stumbled into the room and stopped when he saw them there, obviously not meaning to find them. But the shock slowly turned accusatory as he stared at his brother. Once again, Ayame felt cornered by his brother. Not just because of his piercing gaze, but also because the long red welt that ran from his forehead to his jaw, even crossing over to his neck. Blood beaded on the surface of his skin and a few rivulets ran down his cheeks and mixed with tears.

"Yuki!" Hatori exclaimed, going over to him. "What happened? Come with me, we need to clean that and put something on it."

Yuki ignored him, his eyes still locked on Ayame. "I- I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!"

Ayame felt as if some one had hit him with boulder. Hate?

"Yuki, stop," Hatori told him, getting down on his knees and taking the younger boy by the shoulders without thinking. Yuki flinched and gasped in pain, quickly backing away. Looking down, Hatori saw the faint traces of blood on his fingers and palms. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I wasn't thinking. Now, please, come with me so I can take care of you. You're hurt and any injuries should be taken care of."

Yuki didn't need to be told that, but he turned his gaze to the wide-eyed Ayame one last time. In a quiet venom-filled tone, he said, "Nii-san, I _hate_ you. And I will always hate you."

After Hatori led Yuki away, Shigure finally spoke. "Aya… _did_ you know?"

Ayame couldn't answer him. Weighed down by shame, all he could think of was the last thing Yuki had said to him.

_"__I __will __always __hate __you.__" _

**I like this one much more than _Memories._Yes! Child bishie angst! Please tell me what you think. . Please? The review button loves you and so do I if you click it and review!**


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